Why GoPros Are Useful For Photographers

GoPro cameras are a craze that has swept the world over the last few years, making a compact, lightweight and high spec camera available to the masses of people wanting to capture their adventures that don't want to be carting a heavy DSLR up a mountain with them. If you're not sure what exactly a GoPro is, or what it can be used for, then this article should shed some light on the issue.

GoPros aren't going to suddenly become the go-to camera for slow shutter speed and meticulous landscape work, but they do have their place in a photographer's arsenal and here, we'll explore these possibilities as we discover why a GoPro camera is useful for photographers. 

What is a GoPro?

We know that a lot of you will already be aware of GoPro as a brand and what they make but just in case you're new to it - GoPro is a brand that specialises in action cameras. These cameras have a wide range of uses as we will go into below, but they were primarily designed for attaching to yourself or your equipment when taking part in sporting activities. There are quite a few models on the market, all designed to be rugged, compact and very transportable. Here are the newest 2 available currently:

GoPro HERO5 Black

The HERO5 is GoPro's latest offering and has 4K video capabilities as well as the ability to take 12-megapixel stills in single, burst and time-lapse modes. It's waterproof to 33 feet without housing. It can be activated using voice commands. 

Buy on Amazon

GoPro HERO5 Session

The Session is the smallest and lightest GoPro camera available. It has a versatile cube shape and is waterproof to 10m. It features easy one-button control and is capable of 4K video and 10-megapixel stills in single, burst and time-lapse modes. It can also be controlled hands-free with voice commands. 

Buy on Amazon

But aren't they just for adrenaline junkies?

The short answer is a resounding no! Let us expand on this answer for you. GoPros are a great camera to have on you when you don't want to, or can't take a larger camera. They can fit in your pocket easily and are so light you'll hardly notice it. 

They turn on at the single press of a button and immediately start recording - great for capturing those spontaneous moments when it's impractical or happening too fast to whip out and set up a larger camera. 

If you're planning an exotic holiday, GoPros are a great alternative to a compact camera as they are waterproof without a case and can capture impressive 4K video under the waves. The wide range of accessories available for them allows you to easily use the camera and keep it safely with you in the waves, too. 

GoPro cameras can allow you to capture memories that might otherwise happen too fast to be captured. 

You're talking about video - I want to take photos!

While GoPros are primarily created for capturing video, they do now have stills capabilities, and impressive ones at that. The GoPro HERO 5 can capture 12-megapixel stills - allowing you to produce a 24x36 print without losing quality. They can shoot in single shot, burst, and time-lapse modes as well. 12 magapixels is the same amount you'll find in the much larger Olympus Tough TG-5, for example. 

Although the GoPro camera will struggle in low light as it doesn't have the ISO capabilities of a DSLR, it is still more than capable of family photos and images taken in good light. The wide-angle lens is great for capturing your surroundings. 

So how can I take a decent shot with a GoPro?

It's true that GoPros don't offer you the wide range of shooting options that you'll get with a DSLR, and nor do they have scene modes or filters built in. But for capturing the raw moment of a scene, in good light, the GoPro is a very capable option. There is exposure control, to help if a scene looks too dark or light.

Getting used to shooting well with a GoPro will take practice - getting used to what will work and what won't with the wide angle lens, and positioning the camera so that you get no unwanted objects in the foreground and background can be tricky at first. 

The GoPro HERO5 has a touchscreen, enabling you to preview and playback your images to see if they're up to scratch. 

Think outside the box and capture images that are original - the GoPro has a wide range of attachments allowing you to capture yourself doing something as simple as walking in a new light. 

Use a bit of forethought to envision how you could take an interesting photo on your next adventure. Spontaneity can be great but sometimes it pays to research and plan to photograph in a specific place at a specific time. Try not to shoot in the middle of the day - morning or late afternoon sun is often best. 

Make yourself familiar with the settings so that you can experiment with the camera to quickly and effectively achieve your shots. Otherwise, your frustration with not knowing how to achieve what you want can get in the way of your creativity. 

Invest in gear to help you achieve great images. If you cycle a lot, invest in a handlebar mount. If you rock climb, consider a chest harness. Even if you simply hike, a head mount can give a unique perspective for your adventure and will capture a human view of the scene without you having to unmount it. 

I need more persuading. Why should I invest in one?

If you've read this far then there's a strong chance you're considering GoPro as a purchase. That's great. Here are the main reasons why we think one will complement your photography:

Wide range of accessories 

There are a lot of accessories, mounts, and casings available for GoPro enabling you to keep it safe, and to hand no matter what your activity. From handles to give you a steadier shot to clips enabling you to attach the camera to a surfboard or skateboard, it really doesn't matter what your activity is - the GoPro will fit around you. Even simply stowing it in your pocket when not taking your DSLR means you've got something to capture life's wonderful spontaneous photo opportunities. They always happen when you least expect them when out and about! 

Compact and lightweight

As we've mentioned before, the size and shape of the camera mean that it's easily slipped into a pocket and won't be a bother to you. Even when you do take a DSLR or mirrorless camera out too, the GoPro presents a quicker and easier way to shoot video and photograph on the fly with simple one-button operation. 

Wide angle versatile lens

The wideness of the GoPro lens means it has the capabilities to shoot in a lot of different situations and is especially ideal for those that want to photograph landscapes, or people in the landscape while out and about. It's great for showing people the view of a place, and images can be sent via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to your smart device for sharing on social media. 

We know that GoPros aren't going to suit everyone but if you want a simple to use a camera that can capture photos and videos in an instant in a compact and lightweight body then a GoPro camera could be for you. 

Get yours now

Check out our 10 Best Action Cameras article for more choices
Source: Why GoPros Are Useful For Photographers

Spy Photographers Get a Peek Inside the New Audi Q8

Auto News Spy Photographers Get a Peek Inside the New Audi Q8 What's McLaren up to With This... Share Tweet Subscribe Get AutoGuide.com in your Inbox

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There aren't very many buttons to be seen within the cabin of the new Audi Q8. 

The production Audi Q8 is expected to make its debut sometime next year and the prototype being seen here is still covered in camouflage. The SUV however, has been spotted completely uncovered so we already have a good idea of what its exterior will look like. But this is the first time spy photographers have managed to snap photos of the Q8's interior, revealing a mostly sleek surface with minimal physical buttons and knobs.

SEE ALSO: Production Audi Q8 Spotted Completely Uncovered

The new Q8 isn't expected to arrive in the U.S. until 2019 and should be powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 engine with around 354 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. There will also be a high-performance RS variant, sporting a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, as well as a plug-in hybrid e-Tron model.

Discuss this story on our Audi Forum

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Source: Spy Photographers Get a Peek Inside the New Audi Q8

Why GoPros Are Useful For Photographers

GoPro cameras are a craze that has swept the world over the last few years, making a compact, lightweight and high spec camera available to the masses of people wanting to capture their adventures that don't want to be carting a heavy DSLR up a mountain with them. If you're not sure what exactly a GoPro is, or what it can be used for, then this article should shed some light on the issue.

GoPros aren't going to suddenly become the go-to camera for slow shutter speed and meticulous landscape work, but they do have their place in a photographer's arsenal and here, we'll explore these possibilities as we discover why a GoPro camera is useful for photographers. 

What is a GoPro?

We know that a lot of you will already be aware of GoPro as a brand and what they make but just in case you're new to it - GoPro is a brand that specialises in action cameras. These cameras have a wide range of uses as we will go into below, but they were primarily designed for attaching to yourself or your equipment when taking part in sporting activities. There are quite a few models on the market, all designed to be rugged, compact and very transportable. Here are the newest 2 available currently:

GoPro HERO5 Black

The HERO5 is GoPro's latest offering and has 4K video capabilities as well as the ability to take 12-megapixel stills in single, burst and time-lapse modes. It's waterproof to 33 feet without housing. It can be activated using voice commands. 

Buy on Amazon

GoPro HERO5 Session

The Session is the smallest and lightest GoPro camera available. It has a versatile cube shape and is waterproof to 10m. It features easy one-button control and is capable of 4K video and 10-megapixel stills in single, burst and time-lapse modes. It can also be controlled hands-free with voice commands. 

Buy on Amazon

But aren't they just for adrenaline junkies?

The short answer is a resounding no! Let us expand on this answer for you. GoPros are a great camera to have on you when you don't want to, or can't take a larger camera. They can fit in your pocket easily and are so light you'll hardly notice it. 

They turn on at the single press of a button and immediately start recording - great for capturing those spontaneous moments when it's impractical or happening too fast to whip out and set up a larger camera. 

If you're planning an exotic holiday, GoPros are a great alternative to a compact camera as they are waterproof without a case and can capture impressive 4K video under the waves. The wide range of accessories available for them allows you to easily use the camera and keep it safely with you in the waves, too. 

GoPro cameras can allow you to capture memories that might otherwise happen too fast to be captured. 

You're talking about video - I want to take photos!

While GoPros are primarily created for capturing video, they do now have stills capabilities, and impressive ones at that. The GoPro HERO 5 can capture 12-megapixel stills - allowing you to produce a 24x36 print without losing quality. They can shoot in single shot, burst, and time-lapse modes as well. 12 magapixels is the same amount you'll find in the much larger Olympus Tough TG-5, for example. 

Although the GoPro camera will struggle in low light as it doesn't have the ISO capabilities of a DSLR, it is still more than capable of family photos and images taken in good light. The wide-angle lens is great for capturing your surroundings. 

So how can I take a decent shot with a GoPro?

It's true that GoPros don't offer you the wide range of shooting options that you'll get with a DSLR, and nor do they have scene modes or filters built in. But for capturing the raw moment of a scene, in good light, the GoPro is a very capable option. There is exposure control, to help if a scene looks too dark or light.

Getting used to shooting well with a GoPro will take practice - getting used to what will work and what won't with the wide angle lens, and positioning the camera so that you get no unwanted objects in the foreground and background can be tricky at first. 

The GoPro HERO5 has a touchscreen, enabling you to preview and playback your images to see if they're up to scratch. 

Think outside the box and capture images that are original - the GoPro has a wide range of attachments allowing you to capture yourself doing something as simple as walking in a new light. 

Use a bit of forethought to envision how you could take an interesting photo on your next adventure. Spontaneity can be great but sometimes it pays to research and plan to photograph in a specific place at a specific time. Try not to shoot in the middle of the day - morning or late afternoon sun is often best. 

Make yourself familiar with the settings so that you can experiment with the camera to quickly and effectively achieve your shots. Otherwise, your frustration with not knowing how to achieve what you want can get in the way of your creativity. 

Invest in gear to help you achieve great images. If you cycle a lot, invest in a handlebar mount. If you rock climb, consider a chest harness. Even if you simply hike, a head mount can give a unique perspective for your adventure and will capture a human view of the scene without you having to unmount it. 

I need more persuading. Why should I invest in one?

If you've read this far then there's a strong chance you're considering GoPro as a purchase. That's great. Here are the main reasons why we think one will complement your photography:

Wide range of accessories 

There are a lot of accessories, mounts, and casings available for GoPro enabling you to keep it safe, and to hand no matter what your activity. From handles to give you a steadier shot to clips enabling you to attach the camera to a surfboard or skateboard, it really doesn't matter what your activity is - the GoPro will fit around you. Even simply stowing it in your pocket when not taking your DSLR means you've got something to capture life's wonderful spontaneous photo opportunities. They always happen when you least expect them when out and about! 

Compact and lightweight

As we've mentioned before, the size and shape of the camera mean that it's easily slipped into a pocket and won't be a bother to you. Even when you do take a DSLR or mirrorless camera out too, the GoPro presents a quicker and easier way to shoot video and photograph on the fly with simple one-button operation. 

Wide angle versatile lens

The wideness of the GoPro lens means it has the capabilities to shoot in a lot of different situations and is especially ideal for those that want to photograph landscapes, or people in the landscape while out and about. It's great for showing people the view of a place, and images can be sent via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to your smart device for sharing on social media. 

We know that GoPros aren't going to suit everyone but if you want a simple to use a camera that can capture photos and videos in an instant in a compact and lightweight body then a GoPro camera could be for you. 

Get yours now

Check out our 10 Best Action Cameras article for more choices
Source: Why GoPros Are Useful For Photographers

WD G-Technology unveils portable, rugged SSD for photographers

Western Digital has announced the launch of a new portable storage drive under its G-Technology brand: the G-Drive mobile SSD R-Series. This USB-C storage drive is marketed specifically at photographers and other content creators, and is formatted to work with Mac computers out of the box, though it can also be used with Windows if reformatted.

To complement its portable nature, Western Digital has housed the SSD in a rugged water- and dust-resistant body able to withstand drops from 9.8ft / 3m onto a concrete surface and up to 1,000lbs of pressure. The drive itself, which is offered in capacities up to 2TB, has a maximum transfer speed of 560MB/s. Western Digital will launch the R-Series some time this year at the following prices:

500GB: $200

1TB: $380

2TB: $700

Press Release

New G-DRIVE mobile SSD R-Series Will Provide Content Creators with a Larger, Faster, and Rugged Portable Solution

SAN JOSE, CA – Sept. 14, 2017 – Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC), a global data storage technology and solutions leader, today announces the new G-Technology® brand G-DRIVE® mobile SSD R-Series device, the fastest G-Technology portable SSD. With the latest-generation USB-C™ connectivity and transfer speeds up to 560MB/s*, digital content creators will be able to unleash their creativity in new places and work with large creative files like videos, photos and music faster.

"Larger and more powerful cameras breed larger file sizes and that has brought about an important need for equally large and powerful storage solutions," says Brian Matiash, G-Technology G-Team ambassador. "I need to know that my drives will not only keep up with the growing demands of my photo and video workflows, but also ensure that they can endure the environmental rigors of wherever my work takes me." With G-Technology's G-DRIVE mobile SSD R-Series, not only do I get an additional 2TB of capacity beyond what my laptop is limited to with blazing fast file read and write speeds, I also get peace of mind knowing that these drives will stand up to the unpredictable and inclement conditions.

Working with large 4K RAW video means large file sizes and is undoubtedly one of the largest pain points for content editors. Saving time means getting more done, which means booking more jobs over the course of a year. Featuring transfer speeds up to 560MB/s*, the G-DRIVE mobile SSD R-Series device will enable editors to quickly save and edit large video, photo and audio files in real time with speeds fast enough to keep up with your content.

Rated R for Rugged

When the luxury of indoor production isn't an option, the G-DRIVE mobile SSD R-Series device is built using hand-picked components to withstand tough conditions in the field and provides a rugged solution you can trust. In addition, it will have an International Protection Rating of 67 (IP67) for water and dust resistance and has been tested to withstand up to a 3-meter drop on a carpeted concrete floor and 1000 lbs of pressure (crush resistance).

Think Big. Travel Light.

When preparing for outdoor production, limiting the space and weight of gear is vital. The G-DRIVE mobile SSD R-Series device is compact in size, and will give photographers high-capacity storage without sacrificing speed. With capacities up to 2TB, the G-DRIVE mobile SSD R-Series device is a lightweight, pocket-sized solution that will enable photographers and editors to keep 4K footage, RAW photos, and more to edit and save, wherever, whenever.

Being an on-the-go photographer requires being confident and secure with tools to work with. The G-DRIVE mobile SSD R-Series device is protected by an industry-leading five-year limited warranty and is designed to provide high-performance storage for years to come.

Pricing and Availability

The G-DRIVE mobile SSD R-Series device offers a 5-year limited warranty and will be available at select G-technology resellers around the world this year with up to 2TB capacities.

Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) in the U.S. will be $699.95 for 2TB, $379.95 1TB, and $199.95 500GB, USD, respectively from g-technology.com and will be available this year through G-Technology resellers around the world. For more information on G-Technology offerings, please visit www.g-technology.com.

Source: WD G-Technology unveils portable, rugged SSD for photographers

Excio seeks photographers, artists, museums to join background photo app

Excio co-founder and chief executive Ana Lyubich holding one of Wellington Public Library's books which is used in the app.

Whether it is a photo of your favourite book cover, or a portrait from an obscure artist, there is something for everyone's "small billboard".

And while most mobile phone owners choose to have family photos on their home screen, some people prefer scenery, or artwork.

"If you don't like to put your family images there, it's just another screen and with most of the being five-and-a-half inches now, it's like a small billboard in your pocket," Wellington app designer Ana Lyubich​ said.

Photographers, museums and artists sign up to the app and list their images on it.

"You look at it about 100 times a day, and can close and open different apps, but the home screen is always there, so why do you use it for something meaningful."

READ MORE: * Size matters: Phones are as big as they can get

And that is where Excio comes in.

The app shows an array of home screen backgrounds for mobile devices.

Excio is an app which provides mobile users with an array of home screen backgrounds, as well as provide exposure to photographers, artists and museums.

Lyubich, the co-founder and chief executive of Ad Cloud, the company behind Excio, said it offered more than 2000 images to choose from, including book cover illustrations and work from exhibits.

Most of the photos were from New Zealanders, of New Zealand, however, there were also images of art from galleries in the US, she said.

You swipe down on the image to find out more information about it, including the photographer, artist or illustrator.

Lyubich, with her partner Vlad Dolgov​, were now gearing up to tackle the Chinese market, she said.

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Excio differs from other home screen photo apps because it allows users to swipe down from the image to find out the name of the piece and the artist or photographer.

From there, mobile phone owners could read a brief description of the image, and see more from the person who created it.

"All other apps … are like poster on the wall, you need to take down and put another one up from time to time, so it's just a static image that doesn't give you any information about the story behind the image," Lyubich said.

Some of the big names who use the app include Te Papa, Staglands Wildlife Reserve, and the Wellington City Library, using it as a tool to showcase art, exhibition pieces, books, and animals.

"What is interesting is that you can discover new content from artists and photographers who I have not heard of before … you get to see so many photos which are extremely beautiful," she said.

"There's a feeling of excitment when I look at my phone and see something new from someone I haven't heard about yet."

Lyubich hoped to grow the app in "as many parts of the world as possible", she said.

"And that's mostly to give exposure to all the talent that is in the world, because there is a lot of talent people who just don't have a way to break through and be discovered.

"I want to bring all these meaningful images to the screen."

The app is only available on Android phones, but would be available on iPhones within a year, she said.

 - Stuff

Source: Excio seeks photographers, artists, museums to join background photo app

New book celebrates black women photographers

In the 1980s, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe an American photographer, wanted to document the contributions of black female photographers in the United States.

She dug through US Census reports and business directories to track down women like Jennie Louise Van Der Zee Welcome, who photographed the Harlem renaissance, or Elizabeth "Tex" Williams, the first black photographer in the Women's Army Corp during World War II. Moutoussamy-Ashe finally published Viewfinders: Black Women Photographers in 1986, updating it in 1993.

Since then there has been no other comprehensive compilation of the work of black women photographers.

More than 30 years later, Laylah Amatullah Barrayn, a photographer based in Brooklyn, is publishing an anthology of work by black women photographers descent, Mfon: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora. Barrayn's book, funded by a grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council as well as a crowdfunding campaign, features 100 female photographers of the African diaspora, including those based in the US, Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean. It's named after Mmekutmfon 'Mfon' Essien, a young Nigerian-American photographer who passed away in 2001.

The book is the beginning of what will be an annual publication. Barrayn and her partners will also be offering a grant later this year to a woman photographer of African descent. Quartz spoke to Barrayn about Mfon, which will be available later this month.

"The Girls Who Spun Gold". / Nydia Blas

Why did you name the book after Mmekutmfon 'Mfon' Essien?

I thought it would be really fitting to have it be in honor of Mfon, who was someone that I wanted to meet as an aspiring photographer back in the 1990s. I loved her sense of self and pride as a woman and as a Nigerian-American woman. She faced her illness, breast cancer, head on. She created art around her mastectomy and was a muse for many of the visual artists in New York City at the time. She died right before the opening of her seminal work, "The Amazon's New Clothes," part of the "Committed to the Image" exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

How does Mfon diverge from Viewfinders, which you have described as an inspiration for the project?

The major difference between that text and our book is that I wanted to do something international and make a real statement. That's why I wanted to include 100 photographers. We also have a few essays from art critics, and the book is photo heavy. We have a range of genres represented from fine art and abstract to documentary and photojournalism.

How different is the world for black female photographers now compared to when that book was published?

Black women photographers have more exposure than they did in 1986, but nothing compared to our counterparts, white women photographers, who have much more exposure and opportunity. Black women photographers are grossly underrepresented across the board, unfortunately. I'm doing my small part to add to this conversation by creating this document. But it is the gatekeepers, the editors, and curators, who really need to do examine their processes of inclusion.

What are the biggest challenges for female black photographers? What about for female African photographers, from the continent or in the diaspora? I deliberately tried to include African Americans and continental Africans in the book to really bring home the fact that this is a global black community. The challenges for us is that editors, curators, and gatekeepers are committed to only engaging with a select few that, I suppose, maintain their comfort level.

Can you tell us about how you chose the photos for the book?

There are several photographers in the book that I've admired for a while. I was on Instagram a lot. When I was in Africa, I tried to go to exhibitions and check out the scenes in cities like Cairo, Adis Ababa, Dakar, and Cape Town. I did tons of Google searches. I had tons of conversations on and offline.

What do you hope the book achieves?

I think it's important to create a record. I would hate for another 30 plus years to go by and virtually nothing about the work that women photographers of African descent goes documented. I want aspiring photographers to be inspired by the work, effort, and sacrifice these women have made to become storytellers and photographers.

Agencies

Source: New book celebrates black women photographers

Photographers Mert and Marcus Talk 20 Years in Fashion, 'Selling Dreams' and Collaborating With Taylor Swift

Since meeting at a party in the early '90s, photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott (or Mert & Marcus as they're better known to most of the world) have been a joint creative force to reckon with. In the two decades since the pair started collaborating from a DIY East London loft-turned-studio, they've brought an element of highly-stylized glamour to the fashion world.

The pair are known for their polished, hyper-saturated images and unapologetic use of digital manipulation, creating fantasies in picture form in projects that run the gamut from Kate Moss' high-fashion, 60th anniversary Playboy cover to the edgy album art for Taylor Swift's highly-anticipated upcoming album, Reputation. Now, with 20 years in the industry to their credit, Mert and Marcus are looking back at their work with their first retrospective book, a limited-edition, 400-page glossy tome from Taschen titled simply, Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

We spoke to the photographers about their two decades in fashion, Instagram, and what Taylor Swift's new album sounds like. See some of their most iconic images from the book above.

When did you two first start creating images?

Mert Alas: Twenty years ago. In 1994, we met and started sort of making pictures and then from 1995, we were doing photos of ourselves and our friends at home, nothing to do with fashion, just a lot of portraits and nudes, and then in 1997, we started doing this.

Marcus Piggott: We'd call up friends at night and be like, 'come over,' we were always excited about doing something. I had studied [photography] for about 10 years before that anyways, so we were always taking pictures. We met and we started working together.

Do you both shoot and edit?

Mert: We give birth to the idea together, we shoot together, we'll swap the camera because we only have one camera on-set. So he might say, 'give me the camera, I have some angle here that I'd like to try' and vice-versa. And then we will edit together and we have a team of artists, digital artists and printers that we work with. We go over all the details ourselves.

Do you only shoot digital?

Marcus: Well, we do now. You know, never say never because film is so great, but after years in the darkroom, printing, digital just gives you so much freedom.

Mert: It's fast.

Marcus: You're not chasing the Polaroid, you know? You're not trying recreate something over and over again.

What would you say is more important to you two as image makers in your style, the editing of the photo or the shot itself?

Mert: The shot, always the shot! Sometimes we have an idea, and the idea is a dream, it's the middle of the night, there's a moon, there's a wolf, so we paint that idea onto a photograph by shooting different elements and putting them together, and finessing it. I always prefer getting the shot, of course, as a photographer, but I also love making something out of nothing. Putting elements together and creating an image.

You were on the forefront of digitally altering images to make them fantastical. What inspired you to create really stylized, staged photos?

Marcus: Well, as much as they are staged, they're really quite loose as well.

Mert: It was not really a plan, we would do a photograph and then it would be like, "Oh my god, maybe the sky should be like this." It was kind of following our fantasies and dreams a little bit, falling into that, not being concerned with the reality, you know? We are artists, we're not journalists, so we're meant to be selling dreams. For us, it was like, "Let's make the sky red! Let's make her eyes bigger." There were details that you could change and in the end, it isn't so fake that people think, "Oh my god, this is like a drawing," it's in the borderline, so you feel like it's a dream. Our photography has a dream-like sense: how can we portray dark dreams in a beautiful way, in beautiful packaging? So you look at it, you like it, there's some darkness in it. It's a camouflage of our dark side.

How did you two meet and how did you start collaborating creatively together?

Mert: We met at a party in England. We became very close, very quickly, we had a very interesting bond when it came to art, creativity, music, and fun.

Marcus: In our home, there was always an element of playing or fun or cameras, but then we kind of fell into it and gave it our life and our passion. We gave a lot of our life, really. Most of the 2000s, we spent at home, making photos. It was our passion together.

You two were on the same page for that.

Mert: Same page, but at the same time, very different people. Most of our greatest photos are the result of a giant fight that we probably had. That's the way it worked and still does. We just had a fight ten minutes ago [laughs].

Marcus: I think it's important not to just be satisfied, that you're willing to keep pushing.

Mert: In this world, people surround you, especially when they work for you, and everything you do is "great." And you can easily fall into that "greatness" if you were alone. But we never had that! It was always, "it can be better" or "it's not working" or "the light is sh-t," so there was always a little dissatisfaction in what we were doing and at the same time, trying to impress each other.

Marcus: And, you know, it's someone where you value their opinion. Pushes you along.

Mert: We both do some personal work ourselves, even though before I would show it to anyone, I would show it to Marcus. It's almost like our inner voice, outside of us.

How do you stay inspired after 20 years in the business?

Mert: It's very hard, but what drives us is the force and love of life. We're both very into life, love, fun, friendship, culture. Anything and anyone who's got anything to say, a dancer, a singer, a painter. Or dreams. We both have very vivid dreams.

Marcus: You have to stay inspired, don't you? We take a nice summer and we take a good Christmas break and that's good for recharging.

What's changed about your creative process since you two started taking photos?

Mert: colorThe industry's changed. Society's speed of acknowledgment has changed. Everything is available, information is everywhere. You can get something in two hours instead of waiting for a book to come out. Instead of waiting for someone to tell you about something, you can Google it. Because we didn't have Internet when we started, we didn't have Instagram, we didn't have any of that, so everything for us was a fantasy and we weren't two rich kids where we could buy loads of books, so to learn, we had to go to the library and look at photos and digest them.

I think it's the inevitability of having so many sources out there; in my opinion, it's reducing the creative juice of mankind. We stop thinking and asking, "What should be the color? What should be the location? What should be the light?" We are so full of references, we just look and we say "Oh, I should do that hair, that light, that location [claps] — I'm a photographer!" Some good, some bad. I feel lucky to have gone through that process where we actually made it out of nowhere.

I see that both of you are on Instagram, do you feel like that's something that's really changed the way we see and consume and create images?

Mert: Why am I on Instagram? I am on Instagram because it's not something that is serious, it's not something that relates to my work so much, I post something that I might have worked on every now and then, but most of the time, it is of my family, my dog, my cat, my face, my leg, whatever. So it's almost like this selfish satisfaction of our fast society, like "Oh we did a picture, everyone loves it, haha!" It's random.

I don't dislike the kinds of photos that people do, I actually get inspired by a lot of them and I show them to Marcus, like "Look at these kids, they're amazing and they do it all on iPhone and it looks great." It is what it is. I like the fact that a lot of kids now have a voice of some sort so that they can actually show things that they couldn't have otherwise afforded to do. They can't do a photoshoot, they can't get a camera, they don't have a studio, they don't have models. And it looks great, and I like that.

You often feature strong, powerful women in your work and it's become somewhat synonymous with your work – why such strong feminine energy? Is it because of commissions?

Marcus: I think it's personal taste. We both had very strong mothers and that was a big influence on the type of work that we do. But I think it's what attracts us. I like a strong, intelligent, powerful person whether it be male or female.

Mert: I like a woman when I don't define her solely as her sexuality but also defining her bravery. So for instance, for me there are two types of nude: you could be a sexy girl, you know what I mean [gestures] or you could be completely nude and still not be the sexy that we are all thinking of. We like a woman who has got balls [laughs], that has an identity, a power, a strength, is an authority as opposed to being just a sweet, feminine figure.

You two just shot the Taylor Swift album cover for reputation; what was it like working with her? Was it a collaboration?

Mert: Amazing! Super collaborative; she's got the most incredible photographic eye. The first time that we worked with her years ago, we connected then and there. I like when someone has an opinion and a point of view and Taylor had an incredible point of view. We had a lot of different ideas to do before the shoot and then the day of, we were changing everything, like maybe we should do this, maybe we should do that. It was totally fruit of collaboration. She's a very cool chick.

Did you listen to the new album?

Mert: Yeah!

Did you listen to the whole album?

Mert: Not the full album, but what we heard, it's good.

Source: Photographers Mert and Marcus Talk 20 Years in Fashion, 'Selling Dreams' and Collaborating With Taylor Swift